The biodegradable urn planting system, also called a LIVING URN (The Living Urn System, or TLU), is an system comprising a bamboo container capable of rapid degradation in soil that the user can fill with cremated remains, a pH neutralizing and sodium diluting material, soil, planting mix, wood chips, and a living plant (seedling or bare root stock). When one loses a loved one, it is often difficult to discern what to do with the remains (be they human or animal). Many towns and cities do not allow for burial, and storage of cremated remains can be problematic. The present invention seeks to provide a meaningful and tangible way for one to remember the loved one when the cremated remains are buried with a seedling that may be drop shipped and is appropriate for the environment of use. Thus, the seedling grows into a tree, providing comfort and a reminder of the deceased.
The LIVING URN is a simple, yet novel, way for any user to plant cremated remains and successfully have a tree grow therefrom. Previous patents and applications have addressed this issue. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 7,665,195 describes an urn made of natural materials such as dirt, clay, or carton paper and describes use in burying the cremated remains with a seed for germination. Others describe different chambers for the remains, the soil and the seed (See WO 2008/086796). Because cremated remains are basic in nature and not conducive to plant growth, some documents propose to seal off the remains from the rest of the unit (See PCT/DE2008/050001).
As is well known, seed germination is not exact. Moreover, most trees need two growing seasons to germinate, and seeds must be sown at the proper time and environment. (Baskin, Carol & Baskin, Jerry. 2014. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and, Evolution of Dormancy and Germination. Elsevier). Thus, urns that contemplate the use of a seed that will germinate at grow into a mature tree are at an exceptionally high probability of user error, bad seed health, or a bad environment, resulting in a buried remains that never grow the expected plant. This can be extremely disconcerting to the user.
There is a need for an all-in-one biodegradable urn planting system that is cost efficient, user friendly and is able to sustain a viable seedling to maturity. The present invention fills this need.